The Cass County Conservation Board held a youth fishing derby at Cold Springs Park on Saturday, June 12, 2021. Prizes were awarded for the most overall weight:

• 1st – Tobin Juhl
• 2nd – Morrison Sandbothe
• 3rd – Traven Thomas

Derby 21 winners, left to right:
Tobin Juhl; Morrison Sandbothe; Dayton Thomas; Traven Thomas; Christian Bullington.

Awards also given for:

• Heaviest single fish: Dayton Thomas
• Longest single fish: Morrison Sandbothe
• Shortest single fish: Christian Bullington.

The Cass County Conservation Board thanks all those that donated items for the event: Weirich Welding for the trophies, Cappel’s Ace Hardware, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops, for prizes.

MINBURN—The drinking water advisory that was issued for Minburn following a water main break on Monday has now been lifted.

After repairs were completed, and all routine flushing and disinfection, two samples were taken and no bacteria was found in the samples, allowing for the advisory to be lifted.

(Radio Iowa) – The World Pork Expo  wrapped up its three-day run at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Friday afternoon, and organizers say there was much political discussion among producers at this year’s event. Jen Sorenson of Ankeny, president of the National Pork Producers Council, says they’re lobbying the Biden Administration to appeal the court ruling that will slow down line speeds at pork processing plants beginning July 1st.

“While overall U.S. pork harvest capacity will drop 2.5% because of this decision, capacity at six plants running NSIS (New Swine Slaughter Inspection System) line speeds will decline by as much as 25%,” Sorenson says. “Hog farmers are expected to lose more than $80-million this year alone because of this decision.”

The council wants the U-S to sign on to become a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Transpacific Partnership agreement but Sorenson doesn’t expect it to happen this year with the focus on economic and pandemic recovery. Sorenson says expanding international markets is another priority.

“NPPC has been pressing both the U.S. and Philippines government to lower pork import tariffs as African swine fever outbreaks began in the Philippines,” Sorenson says. “NPPC is also encouraging expansion to Vietnam, another major pork-consuming nation dealing with African swine fever.”

Sorenson says the pork producers are joining the American Farm Bureau in legal action to get California to remove its Proposition 12, which dictates housing measures to pork and poultry producers.

(Radio Iowa) – Revenue for Casey’s General Stores in its just-concluded fiscal year reached eight-point-seven BILLION dollars. Casey’s C-E-O Darren Rebelez says in the midst of the most challenging business environment of our lifetime, that’s an astounding figure. “Casey’s ’21 Fiscal Year yielded the strongest results in our 53 year history,” Rebelez says.

Rebelez says Casey’s adjusted what it stocked inside its stores more than a year ago, selling less grab-and-go food while selling more P-P-E and groceries. He says there was also higher demand for beer and alcohol as restaurants and bars closed and people began consuming more alcohol at home. In February, March and April of this year, Rebelez says in-store sales were up 13 percent.

“We’re now seeing recovery in our prepared food and fountain business as the world moves toward normal traffic patterns,” Rebelez says. “Guest traffic is rising and we’re seeing a resurgence in pizza slices, dispensed beverages and bakery as our guests return to their normal daily routines.”  Retail gas sales dropped throughout the country during the pandemic and the decline is shown on Casey’s ledger, too. “We finished the year down 8.1% in same-store gallons sold,” he says, “with an all time high fuel margin of 34.9 cents per gallon.”

That record fuel margin pushed Casey’s profits from fuel sales up nearly 24 percent. Casey’s share price ended the fiscal year 18 percent higher than the previous year. Casey’s employs 40-thousand people and operates more than 21-hundred convenience stores in 16 states.

The Iowa Department of Public Health in their latest COVID-19 update, Saturday (today) reports 157 additional, positive cases of COVID-19 from over the previous 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 403,079. The Coronavirus dashboard also shows two additional deaths, for a total of 6,097. Deaths at Iowa’s Long-Term Care facilities since the start of the pandemic, amount to 2,370.

There remain four LTC outbreaks in Iowa, with 31 positive cases among patients and staff, and four persons who have recovered. Iowa’s 14-day and seven-day positivity rates are both up slightly, to 1.9%.

The number of Iowans hospitalized by COVID are up from 73 on Friday, to 81 Saturday. Officials report 19 patients are in an ICU; 19 COVID patients were admitted to a hospital, and sven patients are on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western & southwest Iowa), there are three people hospitalized with COVID-19, one person was in an ICU, one personwas admitted over the previous 24-hours, and no one was on a ventilator.

In the immediate KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County (since the beginning of the pandemic) and the total number of deaths (Since the beginning of the pandemic) in each county to date:
Cass, 1,476 cases; 54 deaths
Adair, 993; 32
Adams, 355; 4
Audubon, 546; 10
Guthrie, 1,312; 32
Harrison County, 1,935; 73
Madison County, 1,786 19
Mills County, 1,801; 24
Montgomery, 1,118; 38
Pottawattamie County, 12,343;173
Shelby County, 1,374; 37
Union County, 1,381; 35

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest early Saturday of 45-year-old Johnny Thomas Houser of Villisca for OWI 1st Offense. Houser was stopped in the area of 250th Street and Q Avenue, just south of Viking Lake State Park. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says it’s time for a federal law that ensures any product labeled as “milk” came from dairy cows or other livestock, NOT from plants.  “I think we have to have labeling. Milk is milk,” Feenstra says. “Everything else is something different, right? You have to call it something different You should not be down the path of calling it milk.” U.S. milk consumption dropped 15 percent between 2012 and 2017 — while sales of alternatives made with almonds, oats, coconuts and rice grew by 60 percent over that five year period.

Feenstra says using the word “milk” for those plant-based products blurs the line for consumers.  “That’s why it’s so important that we have the educational process,” Feenstra says, “and that people understand where milk is coming from and what is can do for nutrition and for schools and for everybody that is involved.” The federal School Milk Program was established in 1955. It reimburses schools, child care institutions and eligible summer camps for the milk served to children and teenagers.

Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who represents Iowa’s fourth congressional district, visited an open house at the Perry Creek Dairy Farm near Le Mars earlier this week.

(Radio Iowa) – The communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa says the party is aware of a gift card scam using the party chair Jeff Kaufman’s name, and they are working on filing a report with the proper federal authorities. Woodbury County Republican Party chairman, Bob Henderson says one of the central committee members was sent the fake email request. “This person used his name (Kaufman) to ask for funding, but the funding was requested in the form of gift cards,” Henderson says. He knew immediately the request was not from the G-O-P.

“I said right away, when they ask for funding in something other than normal currency — you can pretty well bet that it’s a scam,” Henderson says. “And especially if it happens to be the name of somebody that is known by you, more than somebody nationally.” Henderson says anyone who gets this type of email should immediately contact their local G-O-P chairman, or any member of the executive committee to confirm it.

(Radio Iowa) – A man who served as an interpreter for U-S troops in Afghanistan is hoping to have better luck in immigration court after being denied political asylum in the United States. Zalmay Niazy has lived in Iowa Falls since 2015. He has an appointment with an immigration judge in Omaha late this month. “I am crossing fingers,” he says, “and I am very hopeful that it goes the right direction and I get to stay.”

The U-S Department of Homeland Security cited involvement in a terrorist organization as the reason for denying him asylum and Niazy says that’s very frustrating since he worked with U-S soldiers to fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. Niazy says his life will be in danger if he is deported back to Afghanistan and immigration court is his last hope. “If I get a denial from the court, that will be a death sentence for me to go back home,” Niazy says.

Niazy made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River program. Niazy’s case drew national attention in 2017 when he went to one of U-S Senator Chuck Grassley’s town hall forums to ask for help. Niazy told Grassley he’d been shot twice and survived a roadside bombing during his work as an interpreter for U-S troops in Afghanistan.  “I already have a stamp on me and my family as a US spy back there,” Niazy told Grassley. “I have lost my uncle and I have went through a lot of bad situation.”

Grassley told Niazy he would help and two months later Niazy was interviewed by immigration officials. Niazy didn’t hear again about his case until he received a letter this past January, informing him his asylum request was denied.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kasidy Arena)

The Iowa Department of Human Rights reports the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) eviction moratorium is set to expire on June 30, 2021. However, the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program is still available to assist eligible households.  For details and eligibility, visit https://www.iowafinance.com/iowa-rent-and-utility-assistance-program/ or call the Housing Recovery Help Line 855-300-5885 or 515-348-8813.  There is information for both tenants and landlords.

Note: Polk County and the City of Des Moines will be administering the program locally. Therefore, Iowans residing in either Polk County or the City of Des Moines will be ineligible to apply for the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program. More information on the program that may assist Polk County and City of Des Moines residents is available at IMPACT Community Action Partnership or call 515-518-4770 for rental assistance, housing, and other help.

Another resource is the Iowa Emergency Solutions Grant program that helps to prevent households from becoming homeless due to eviction, and assists Iowans experiencing homelessness to quickly regain rental housing.  For more information, call the Housing Recovery Help Line 855-300-5885 or 515-348-8813.